On November 4, 1922, King Tut's nearly intact tomb was discovered in Egypt's Valley of the Kings by British explorers, Howard Carter and George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon. King Tut became the most famous of ancient Egypt's pharoahs because his tomb and its artifacts were the best preserved. His mummy's mask is a popular symbol of ancient Egypt.
King Tut was born circa 1341 B.C. His father was Akhenaten. His mother's name was lost to antiquity, but she is now known as "the Younger Lady." DNA evidence suggests that Tut's parents were brother and sister. It was an Egyptian custom that the Pharoah married his sister to prevent their royal blood from mixing with the general population's. Tut may have suffered genetic defects because his parents were so closely related. As a prince, he was known as Tutankhaten, which meant "Living Image of Aten."
Tutankhaten became Pharoah in 1332 B.C. when he was nine or ten years old. He reigned during the late 18th Dynasty during a period known as the New Kingdom. He married one of his half-sisters, Ankhesenpaaten. He and his wife had two stillborn daughters, who were buried with Tut when he died.
One of the most significant events of Tut's reign occurred during the third year of his reign. Tut's father had made the god, Aten, the supreme god. As Pharoah, Tut ended the worship of Aten, lifted the ban on the cult of Amun, and restored the traditional rights to Amun's priesthood. Thebes became Egypt's capital again. The city of Akhetaten was abandoned. At this time, the young Pharoah changed his name to
Tutankhamun, which meant "Living Image of Amun." His wife changed her name to Ankhesenamun.
King Tut died when he was about nineteen years old. Shortly before his death, he had broken his leg and his leg became infected. He also suffered from malaria. The relatively small size of his tomb suggests that his death was unexpected.
After his death, his body was mummified and buried with treasures, including a pair of golden sandals. Ancient Egyptians tried to erase Tut's reign from their history, partly because the boy king's reign was so short and partly because the god Aten was restored to supremacy.
My children were slightly disappointed because the mummy on display is only a replica of King Tut's mummy. They were expecting to see a real mummy. The history may also be difficult for younger children to understand. But if you are interested in the ancient world, you might enjoy the King Tut exhibit.
The exhibit will be on display daily from 9:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. until January 6, 2013.
The Pacific Science Center is located at 200 Second Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109.
Their phone number is (206) 443-2001.
Individual Ticket Prices For The General Public
Mon-Thurs Fri-Sun & Holidays
Adults (16-64) $27.50 $32.50
Seniors (65+) $24.50 $29.50
Youth (6-15) $16.50 $21.50
Child (3-5) $15.50 $20.50
Student (with ID) $24.50 $29.50
Add the IMAX movies Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs or Mysteries of Egypt for $4.00.
Add the Audio Guide narrated by Harrison Ford for $6.00.
Some of historical information in this article was taken from Wikipedia.
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